Europe to tighten external border checks

The new rules will not touch Ukraine.

BRUSSELS (QHA) -

Nov 20, in Brussels, the EU country-members introduced ammendments to the second paragraph of the seventh article of the Schengen agreement that provide for the immediate check strengthening at the external Schengen borders. The decision was taken in order to keep track of jihadists traveling to Syria and Iraq, or returning from there.

However, tightened checks in the Schengen area will not touch the Ukrainian citizens, the Representative of Luxembourg to the UN Carole Nash told the "112 Ukraine" TV channel.

- Today's decision doesn’t provide for any changes for non-EU citizens and countries outside the Schengen agreement.The changes will affect only EU citizens or those who have EU residence permit. For the rest the control remains the same. We will check passports and valid visas. The visa issuing procedure will remain intact. No other innovation is envisaged in near future, said Nash.